An Cumann Irish Staire Lucht Labour Saothar History na hÉireann Society Museum & Archives Beggars Bush, Haddington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland. President’s Address ILHS AGM Saturday September 5th, 2020.

Colleagues it is seventeen months since we gathered in the Denham, and Shay Cody will be elected as President of Forsa-SIPTU offices in Roxborough Road, Limerick for the the Society. I wish them all well in their ongoing endeav- 2019 AGM and for events connected with the Centenary of ours on behalf of the society, at the same time work is the Limerick Soviet, Liam Cahill’s address on that subject continuing to progress in increasing the regional/gender/ and the presentation of copies of the Soviet’s money donat- youth involvement from Ulster: Connacht and Munster in ed via Barry Desmond and accepted by Mike McNamara. A the Society. well-attended event with faces one might not often see at a Saothar 45 was delivered during the lockdown our Dublin based AGM, it was good to see non ILHS members compliments to CRM Design & Print for delivering during turn out to listen to Liam’s thought provoking lecture the lockdown and thank you to Mary McAuliffe and which did the society proud on such a special occasion for Leann Lane the editors of this volume. Ed Penrose and Limerick labour folk and shortly thereafter Liam launched Francis Devine produced a pdf and hard copy of the 30th the Centenary edition of Forgotten Revolution-The Limer- anniversary newsletter of our premises at Beggars Bush. ick Soviet 1919. The committee approved a publication for late 2022 to Much has happened since then with word of the ‘new celebrate 50 years of the ILHS,-Labour & Class in Irish flu’ being registered by the WHO as a pandemic; the subse- History- Essays to Celebrate 50 years of the ILHS 1973- quent loss of life, the devastation of economies as well as 2022 and joint editors John Cunningham; Francis Devine the millions of people worldwide who are laid off; made and Sonja Tiernan have been agreed by the ILHS com- redundant and those who work in areas of our economies mittee. for employers who do not have sick leave schemes, poor or In the light of the author’s decision to have the Rosie no child-care systems and all the faults that have been Hackett SILH published elsewhere, a new SILH No 16 has highlighted worldwide of underfunded health and welfare been sourced emphasising solidarity between Irish and systems; prevarication by governments and ministers and UK trade unionists during the 1913 Dublin Lockout and the greed and price escalation of contractors and vendors the Miners’ Strike 1984-5 and the subject of SILH 17 supplying personal protective equipment, much of which is should be identified for publication for 2022-23. Mike not fit for purpose. Shuker and Francis Devine are finishing work on SILH 16 After Easter last year, the sub-committee on the pro- ‘To Make a Universe of Love, Not a Universe of posed 2020 European Conference of the ILHS’s work gath- th Hate’ –Leicestershire Labour and the Dublin Lock Out, ered pace and by March 5 , 2020 we were on the cusp of 1913-1914. Patricia King and Frances O’Grady (ICTU/ finalising the agenda for that conference when work BTUC) are contributing an introduction to the pamphlet. stopped. The work of the committee continued, and we The following events follow from discussions in May had members contributing to the ICTU conferences held in 2019, following last year’s AGM on Saothar/Publications/ Belfast, Cork, Galway and the DCTU Conference in Liberty Conference 2020 under the following headings: Saothar Hall. Many ILHS members were speakers at these events – the appointment of a General Editor, and a return to 3 and others attended as delegates and we had stalls at all editors one of whom should be a trade union based com- save the Cork event which to our chagrin was timetabled to th mittee member, work has begun on scoping guest editors compete with our Autumn conference on October 16 , de- for Saothar 50, seeking a sponsor for an online version of spite the fact that the date of the ILHS Conference was well an updated Saothar index, and seeing if the proceedings known. That event hosted on the Friday in Forsa HQ and of the coming international conference could be pub- on the Saturday in Beggars Bush dealt with 60 years of the lished as a special edition of Saothar. ICTU 1959-2019, with Patricia King giving the keynote speech and speakers including Patricia McKeown, Gerry Other Committee work Murphy, current President of Congress, Alison Millar, Anne Speed, Peter Bunting, Seamus Dooley, Eoin  A decision was taken on fiscal prudence in spending Ronayne, John King and Peter Nolan on aspects of public for the next 12-18 months due to the financial charge and private sector employment in both jurisdictions. The on having to reprint Saothar 44 due to a major editori- Seamus Dooley-Peter Bunting aspect of the Conference al error. was quite candid and revelatory in relation to content. On  Work to scope the supplier for the digital images of the the Friday evening ILHS member Dr Mike Mecham’s bio- ICA sample minute book to be completed (outstanding graphical book on William Walker was launched. since 2017)  Work for the Autumn Conferences of 2019/2020 (both Committee Work completed) The committee met twice in February(delayed due to the  Need to recruit new blood to the committee asap and General Election) and July and a lot of good work done as some contingency planning needed for the medium well as the co-option of three new members to the commit- term (being achieved) tee Micheal Mac Donncha; Betty Tyrrell Collard; Mary  Someone to take on the role of liaison with the Trades Muldowney consequent on the resignations of James Cur- Councils (Pat Bolger accepted this role and himself ry, and Leah Dowdall. Two new committee members will and I met with the ICTU Trades Council Group in Jan- be elected at today’s AGM Bill McCamley and Donal uary 2020.  Work needs to proceed on recruiting someone to take larly abroad. There are many new Irish academics who on the role of President of the Society from AGM 2020 have gone abroad to begin their careers and getting tenure (Completed in mid-2020) -let us stay in touch and invite them to be part of the ILHS diaspora and contribute to the debate.  Work needs to be done on International membership At the AGM in 2014 were members of the Corish fam- which has dwindled and international contacts – Ed ily presenting papers from his estate to do with the Wex- and I have worked on the former with some success ford Lockout of 1911, also present were 3 Labour Party and in the last while Mike Mecham and Steve Coyle heavyweights John Horgan, Tony Brown, and Flor have taken over as ILHS contacts in England and Scot- O’Mahony -on the topic of ‘Remembering Frank Cluskey’ land respectively. Work is ongoing on securing a con- from which spawned the Umiskin Press book Cluskey the tact for North America via Pat Bolger. Conscience of Labour and afterwards a lecture in the ter-  Finally, Fionnuala Richardson the Vice President took centenary of the Dublin City Council series -Lord Mayors of on the role of being the contact person for available Dublin: Frank Cluskey :A Man of Principle, subsequently accommodation for the now deferred 2020 Confer- re-edited at the Bray Trades Council. ence. In this regard it may be necessary to scale back In 2015 we saw the creation of Labour History News the expectation of financial support for the Conference edited by James Curry and Adrian Grant which was pub- given the ongoing layoffs and redundancies of trade lished till May 2018 when it was discontinued for two rea- union members during the pandemic. sons: the cost and the poor distribution record of the publi- cation, with significant number of copies not being distrib- Recently Dr Mike Mecham took on the position of repre- uted. The committee has since had two 4-page event-based senting the ILHS on the Executive Committee of the Soci- publications of the Corish event in Wexford (Nov 2018) ety for the Study of Labour History in England, an honour and the 30th anniversary of the opening of Beggars Bush for him and the society, Mike confers on this matter fre- (June 2020) sent out on pdfs with a limited hard copy print quently. run. In this regard can I ask members to advise the Secre- tary of their updated email address and contact details. Looking Back to 2014. Following conservation advice two ICA uniforms were When I agreed to take on the role of President of the Soci- brought to the UK by Ed Penrose for full conservation and ety for a second time, I advised Ed Penrose that I intend- returned in time for the 1916 centenary commemorations ed to do it totally differently to my previous term in office. in 2016. I took up my position following Brendan Byrne’s retire- 2016 saw a plethora of publications and events, fol- ment as President in June 2014 after many years of dis- lowing the President of Ireland’s address at the 2015 Au- tinguished service. I can say that I have thoroughly en- tumn Conference of the ILHS he returned on Easter Tues- joyed working with such committed committee members, day 29 March 2016 as part of the James Connolly and the ordinary ILHS members and others in the wider labour Irish Citizen Army State Commemoration. The President and trade union sphere, fellow officers, and advocates in gave the keynote speech in Liberty Hall to a packed audi- kindred organisations. I also thought it important to have ence , and this essay A Celebration of James Connolly and fixed dates for the two main events in our calendar and the Irish Citizen Army was published in Saothar 41 which thus we settled on the week before Easter for our AGM was launched by SIPTU General Secretary, Joe O’ Flynn on and publication /collection of Saothar the Journal of the May 12th 2016, the centenary of Connolly’s execution by ILHS and the week before the October bank holiday crown forces and was launched subsequently in Belfast and weekend so people could put those dates in their new/ Glasgow, though funds did not exist for an American electronic diaries come each new year. launch to complete the Connolly circle. Saothar 41 was Early on we decided to deal with the Dublin centric guest edited by Francis Devine, Sarah-Anne Buckley and nature of the society a valid complaint made on a few oc- Brian Hanley which was a quality publication and which in casions by members and I have enjoyed in my role as my view has not received the critical acclaim which its pub- President and Principal of Umiskin Press travelling to lication and content deserved. Cork, Limerick, Derry, Belfast, Bray, Enniskillen, Wex- 2016 also saw the Society launch SILH 15 & 16 in the ford, Glasgow. Another issue which I think the society has names of Paul Ennis on: Peter Ennis The man who kept tackled has been getting varied speakers to our events Liberty Hall sponsored by SIPTU and launched on Mayday without forgetting that we owe an audience to our own and Rayner Lysaght’s study: From the GPO to the Winter members from time to time. We have had several links/ Palace -How a workers revolution was lost and how a events with the Labour Party/ Forsa/SIPTU/UNITE the workers revolution was won, sponsored by UNITE the Union but have endeavoured to get members of other po- union and launched on July 12th 2016. litical parties into membership and active within the soci- In 2017, I concluded an ILHS meeting with a piece of ety. We encouraged a ‘New Beginnings’ process to lower good news. Brendan Howlin (then Labour Party leader) the age level of the committee and society and while the had forwarded on correspondence received from Minister work was fruitful, and some young people came on board Heather Humphreys, Minister for Culture, Heritage and they did not attend regularly but is an area worth perse- the Gaeltacht advising the Society that a funding allocation vering with. It may very well be that with remote meet- of €7000 had been awarded towards the conservation work ings gaining in prominence and a wish explored by the undertaken on uniforms by the Society. Along with a previ- July meeting of the society to co-opt 3 members taking ous donation this brought in €8000 in total with the final gender and age into account from areas such as Cork, Gal- cost to the society of €10,000.2017 also saw the publication way and Northern Ireland into committee membership of one of the society’s most prestigious publications edited perhaps attending mainly virtually but committing to at- by John B Smethurst (deceased) and Francis Devine: His- tend some ILHS events yearly in person. torical Directory of Trade Unions in Ireland co-sponsored Before leaving this subject, I believe in the coming by the ICTU;IMPACT and UNISON this hard and paper- year a small group needs to be constituted to map out back publication is now a collector’s item and Francis con- those who are studying labour history and kindred topics tinues to update trade union changes via the pages of Sao- at third and further level along with identifying their su- thar. pervisors & tutors so that we can become more ambitious In 2018, the AGM was attended by then Lord Mayor as we approach the 50th anniversary of the foundation of of Dublin and President of the DCTU respectively Micheal the society in 2023 in charting new areas of labour history Mac Donncha and Pat Bolger where the Lord Mayor’s and aspects of Irish Labour History at home and particu- award presented to the DCTU was presented to the ILHS following the AGM. Some committee members attended AGM Talks the GPO lecture events based on R. M. Fox’s Rebel Irish- 2015 Dr. Ann Mathews: The Separation Women- Mar- women arranged by ILHS committee member James riage & the British Army from the Crimea to WW1. Curry and part sponsored by the ILHS, at which Padraig 2016 Padraig Yeates: Another View of the Rising. Yeates presented a paper on Madam Markievicz. 2017 Emerging Voices of Irish Labour History: Luke In 2019 Dr Mike Mecham joined the Executive Dineen: The Derry Lockout 1924 Committee of the Society for the Study of Labour Histo- * Elaine Sugrue and Gerard Madden apologised in ry, (UK) where he represents the ILHS a signal honour advance of the event. for Mike and the Society, on which committee he update 2018 Dr Mike Mecham: William Walker Revisited: A the SSLH committee of labour history happenings, Tribute to John W Boyle. events and publications in Ireland. President of Ireland 2019 Liam Cahill: The Limerick Soviet: Remembered Michael D Higgins re-elected emphatically for a second and Re-evaluated term agreed to become sole patron of the Society as well 2020 Francis Devine Irish Communists Remembered following the passing of an emergency motion by Ed (deferred) Penrose and amended by Noirin Greene on a point of Special Events clarification. May 2014 With DDC SIPTU James Curry on 2020 Recent Deposits. Rosie Hackett, Connolly Room, We received a couple of new deposits last week -a large Liberty Hall. deposit from the family of the late Donal Foley - (Man 21 October 2014 ILHS Member Jack O’ Connor spoke Bites Dog -IT) courtesy of Padraic Yeates and from a on the Centenary of the founding of relation of Dermot Doolan, Michael Doolan, papers re- the Irish Neutrality League an event lating to a man called Alfie Watters of the Automobile organised by PANA Connolly Room, Association courtesy of Brendan Byrne -contacts and Liberty Hall. word of mouth still work quite well but also getting back 23 October 2014 With DDC SIPTU Emmet O’Connor to people expeditiously helps rather than dragging on How International was things out as we have often done. Larkinism? Connolly Room, John (Citizen) Kane Limerick and myself have been Liberty Hall in conversation with Michael Pattison re items from his 8 November 2014 Barry Desmond -The Labour Party brother Seamus's career as a public representative and in Limerick & Charles Callan on we are hoping to have that in the premises before the John Ryan & the Limerick OHPTU, AGM, many thanks to Mags Murphy for this introduc- 1908 at the inaugural conference of tion and contact details. We also received a further de- the Limerick Labour History Confer- posit from John Horne, the associates of Roy Johnston, ence, at the Mechanics Institute. A Shay Cody, Jack McGinley, Umiskin Press, as well as donation of Saothar volumes were significant material from the constituents of FORSA given to colleagues here. much of which deposits can be seen on the shelving op- November 2015 CWU William Norton House NCR posite the Conference Room on the upper level of the Francis Devine ‘History of the Postal premises contributed to by FORSA We continue to re- Workers’ ceive material from the ASTI. December 2015 Linen Hall Library Belfast Theresa Moriarty The Linen Workers and Unfinished Business/work in progress Mary Galway 'Our lives should not be sweated': Belfast women workers  Renewing the heating postponed because of the cost 1910-1915' preceded by presentation over-run on Saothar 44 of volumes of Saothar to the Linen  Creation of a more user-friendly website and in- Hall Library as well and a historic creased use of social media with suitably agreed poli- visit to the Crown Bar afterwards. cies governing their uses and the creation of a specif- 12 May 2016 ILHS-SIPTU launch of Saothar 41; ic website for the International Conference. at a well-attended event hosted by  Creating a cadre of employer led companies and SIPTU in the Connolly Room/Cois state and semi-state organisations willing to co- Life Bar at which Stefan Braun one sponsor education initiatives, publications, and of the co-authors (along with Stefan events. Berger)of an international media  Boosting the number of trade unions advertising in review piece in Saothar 41 Saothar and Saothar 50. on :International Socialist Respons-  A return to co-operation in the swapping with like- es to the Easter Rising in Ireland in minded labour history publications, nationally and 1916. whose visit was paid for by internationally, so that the ILHS Library has a sponsors PES. broader selection of items for researchers. 2016 Labour Party-PES 1916 Symposium included ILHS member speakers  Encouraging trades councils and trade unions to be- Tanaiste and Labour Party Leader come more involved in our events, perhaps having Joan Burton T.D. Jack O’Connor one designated trade union event per annum in their G.P. SIPTU; Aodhan O ‘Riordan own premises might foster increased awareness of T.D.; Padraig Yeates with one of the the Society. sessions being chaired by Vice Presi-  Having initiatives with primary and secondary dent Fionnuala Richardson. schools, and in co-operation with their trade unions May 2017 A conference exploring ‘Labour and particularly in Dublin to visit the premises and see Nationalism’ in England, Ireland, their heritage; the library; banners and other arti- Scotland, and Wales took place at facts – perhaps through an ILHS liaison officer. the University of Huddersfield. The conference was organised by the So- ciety for the Study of Labour Histo- ry, with the support of the ILHS, the Scottish Labour History Society and the President of Wexford T.C. A and Llafur: The Welsh People’s paper from Honorary President, History Society. ILHS members, Francis Devine was not read due to Emmet O’Connor, James Curry, time issues. Adrian Grant, and D.R. O’Connor January 2019 Gresham Hotel in association with Lysaght spoke on various aspects the Labour Party, on the Centenary of Irish labour and nationalism in of The Democratic Programme the late nineteenth and early twen- Speakers Charles Callan; Rayner tieth centuries. John Feeley and Lysaght; Emmet O’Connor; Jack Eddie Soye also attended. O’Connor; Alex White; Brendan 28-9 July 2017 Sligo, Ballaghadrreen, and Gurteen: Howlin T.D. Mags Murphy attended society members John Feely; Pa- a meeting with the ILHS to plan and draig Yeates and Jack O’Connor facilitate this event. took part and helped organise the Markievicz & Partridge Remem- Recent Autumn Conferences brance event. A couple of weeks 1 November 2014 Beggars Bush We serve neither King earlier an event was held in Bal- nor Kaiser. laghaderreen Cemetery to visit Wil- Speakers: Padraig Yeates; Theresa Moriarty; John Cun- liam Partridge’s grave. Members of ningham; John Horne; Brendan Byrne; James Curry; the Dublin-based Clé Club laid a Catriona Crowe; Brian Hanley & Peter Rigney. wreath at Partridge’s grave with music from piper Noel Pocock and 9th-11th October 2015 Liberty Hall in conjunction with after lunch visited the local Doug- DDC & Equality Committee SIPTU las Hyde Centre in Portahard, Co Labour in 1915 on the cusp of the Revolutionary Year Roscommon where former SIPTU Keynote Speaker President Michael D Higgins. President Des Geraghty delivered the William Partridge Commemo- The Society was deeply honoured that the President of rative Lecture followed by an even- Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, accepted our invitation to ing of song. Clé Club cathaoirleach provide the opening address to the conference, on the Des Geraghty recalled how his late theme of: ‘After the Lockout- The Options for the Poor.’ brother, Hugh Geraghty, who died which received welcome funding from the Department of in 2007, had written a biography of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the Co-operation William Partridge. “Hugh has es- with Northern Ireland funding scheme which allowed two tablished that William Partridge colleagues from UNISON, a mother and daughter to at- was indeed a most significant figure tend our events. of Irish Labour, clearly deserving of Among the speakers were: Dan O’Neill (YWN); Rodney much greater recognition than he Rice; Padraig Yeates; Seamus Dooley; (Hedge School); has received in the last 100 years,”. Theresa Moriarty; James Curry; Francis Devine; Nell Re- October 2017 The Society co-organised an event gan; Catriona Crowe; Joe Mooney; Chris McGimpsey; as part of the Dublin Festival of Brian Hughes; Mary Mc Auliffe; Fionnuala Walsh; & Em- History. A very well-attended semi- met O’Connor. nar took place in Pearse Street Li- brary, with several speakers, in- 22nd October 2016 ILHS Beggars Bush Leaving 1916 and cluding Vice President Fionnuala Entering 1917 Richardson and Pat Bolger on the Speakers: Charles Callan- Peadar Macken 1878-1916; Mi- theme of Ireland and the Russian chael Halpenny – Jacknives & Buckskins in Frongoch Revolution Camp; Sarah-Anne Buckley Child Welfare & childhood in November 2017 An event was held in Bray, in asso- 1917; Paul Ennis on SILH 14; Rayner Lysaght on SILH 15; ciation with the Bray & District Padraig Yeates The ITUC & Labour Party Archive; Hugo Trades Council to mark the cen- McGuinness- Street Fighting Men East Walls resistance tenary of the foundation of the to the British Army Donal Fallon on Richard O’Carroll. Trades Council. Several ILHS 21st October 2017 ILHS Beggars Bush Seán O’Casey, members featured in the mixed Ireland & The Russian Revolution. Christopher Murray ILHS/Bray TC programme. spoke on ‘O’Casey’s Union Men as described in his writ- 22 January 2018 Emmet O’Connor spoke at the ings’, Martin Maguire on ‘Protestant, Republicans and UTOPIA: DYSTOPIA event hosted Revolutionaries in the time of Sean O’Casey’, Manus by the TCD Long Room Hub on the O’Riordan speaking on ‘O’Casey and O’Riordans on the Irish Left and Soviet Russia 1917- 1956 Hungarian Uprising’. Paul O’Brien spoke on 1943 ‘O’Casey and the Soviet Union’, Helena Sheehan dis- 18 April 2018 President and Honorary President cussed ‘Irish Communists at the International Lenin Jack McGinley and Francis Devine School’, and Emmet O’Connor spoke on ‘The Irish left and were among the speakers at the Soviet Russia, 1917-1943’. Conference was followed by the invite of the Ard Mheara, Micheal launch of “When Ireland went Red” The Soviet Experi- Mac Donncha on the ment 1918 - 1923, a new publication by Brian Kenny co- Anti-Conscription Campaign -100 sponsored by the ILHS; Umiskin Press and ILHS trustee Years on. Pat Bolger. Nov 2018 Wexford County Library Remem- October 2018 MAC Belfast: Centenary of William Walker bering Brendan Corish with pa- 1870-1918 pers/speeches from Richard & Hel- Speakers Mike Mecham; Emmet O’Connor; Myrtle Hill; en Corish; Barry Desmond; Tony Sean Byers; Chris McGimpsey; Owen Reidy; Declan Brown; Niall Green; Brendan Halli- Kearney; Joe Bowers; Patricia McKeown; Alison Millar; gan; Brendan Howlin T.D.; Jack Francis Devine. McGinley; Fionnuala Richardson October 2019 Forsa HQ Nerney’s Court/ILHS Beggars some respite after the pandemic. Bush: 60 Years of the ICTU 1959-2019 I want to pay tribute to those active Honorary Presi- Speakers: Patricia King; Pat Bolger; Francis Devine; dents Francis Devine with whom I have travelled all over Jack O’Connor; Gerry Murphy, Alison Millar, John King, the island of Ireland; England and Scotland over the last Peter Nolan, Patricia McKeown, Peter Bunting, Eoin decade and to his wife Ann Riordan, his knowledge of his Ronayne; Seamus Dooley. subject is awesome and his list of contacts amazing as 17t:h October 2020 ILHS Beggars Bush well as his musical work with the MUI; Howth Singing Remembering the 1920’s Circle and the launch of his latest CD with Steve Byrne Speakers: Peter Rigney on The Munitions Strike 1920-1; and friends -an ownerless corner of the earth. Francis Devine The Vehicle Permits Dispute & (virtually) Teresa Moriarty and Emmet O’Connor for their con- Margaret Ward on Constance Markievicz as Minister for tinuing scholarship and energy; and Barry Desmond and Labour. his wife Stella for the enormous donations of records; memorabilia; and particularly aged photographs with leg- Hugh Geraghty Memorial Lecture 2015 21 October Cle ends from one of Irelands greatest photographic institu- Club ‘ Went on to Organise’ Centenary of murder of tions -Ross-they are a great treasure for the ILHS and Ed Joe Hill: Francis Devine will be displaying some of them in rotation in the coming 2017 Cle Club ‘Railway Workers in Ireland post WW1’: months and years. I also want to pay tribute to my wife Peter Rigney Helen; for her ongoing technological assistance; ceding much space to labour history records and publications at 2018 Mayfest Cle Club: ‘Jim Connell -Composer of the home; and her advice on grammar; what goes on via twit- Red Flag’ Francis Devine ter and other technological pods; casts; links etc. 2019 Mayfest Cle Club ‘The Belfast Engineering Strike’- I want finally to thank the man who introduced me Padraig Yeates. to the Society a long time ago, John P Swift, now a retired 2020 Mayfest Cle Club (deferred) ‘The Life of Dan Mur- trade union official, still researching and shortly to pub- phy in Public Service’ -Tom Geraghty lish a short biography on Brendan Scott. John is known for his biography on his father published by Gill & Mac- Book Launches. millan after whom todays award is named. He also brought to publication his father’s memoir September 2014 ILHS Beggars Bush Told in Toberona (2008) and in 2012, Striking A Chord A Barry Mc Loughlin: Fighting for Republican Spain Trade Union History of Musicians in Ireland both pub- December 2017 Teachers Club lished by Watchword. I thank John for his support of the Dr Connal Parr: Inventing the Myth: Political Pas Society and his regular contribution to labour history via sions & the Ulster Protestant Imagination. Sound Post the newsletter of the Musicians Union of Ire- October 2018 MAC Belfast Sean Byers & Francis land, now part of SIPTU. Devine: William Walker Centenary Essays So as the late comedian Bob Hope used to say – ‘thanks for the memories’, I will continue to remain in October 2019 FORSA Nerney’s Court membership and have given commitments to both Shay Dr Mike Mecham: William Walker: Social Activist and Ed re publications; events; accessions in the library & Belfast Labourist 1870-1918 and the International Conference whether in 2021 or Finally I want to thank all who worked very hard for the 2022. society over the last 6 and a half years, in particular the officers, Ross Higgins as business editor of Saothar, the staff at CRM Design and Print, producers of Saothar; Slan agus beir bua, SILH and the Newsletter; our successive editors; our solicitors; auditors; trustees; individual and corporate go dti an ocaid oiriunach aris. membership and kindred organisations; government departments who provided funding and advice; col- leagues on the decade of centenaries committee and in particular the two senior officers of ICTU Patricia King and Owen Reidy who in the last three years have given Dr Kieran Jack McGinley great aid to the society as well as conference space at ICTU BDC’s and NIC-ICTU events. President ILHS 5 September 2020. I would also like to pay tribute to SIPTU; FORSA; UNISON; UNITE; INTO; ASTI & NIPSA and their offic- ers and the trades councils who are currently in benefit members for their cooperation and support. It is always invidious to single out certain people, however I do so because Seamus Moriarty covered Ed Penrose’s absence at last year’s conference due to a fami- ly bereavement; Ed Soye does considerable photograph- ic work for the society; Fionnuala Richardson has con- tributed greatly as Secretary; International Secretary; and more recently as Vice President particularly in my absence and is our link to the Peoples College. Ed Penrose and Kevin Murphy do an incredible amount of work very quietly on behalf of the Society. They are the quiet and sometimes forgotten men of the group however between meetings and events they are the glue that holds the Society together. Ed’s role as premises manager deserves recognition on its own and I hope Francis Devine’s motion re a core of volunteers trained to aid Ed in the running of the premises going forward in his golden years will give him and his family